Despite Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke’s comments earlier this week, the city of Calgary and the Calgary Flames are close to a deal for a new arena. First reported by the Calgary Sun’s Eva Ferguson, Calgary city councillors told the Sun that a deal will be revealed soon.
Councillor Diana Colley-Urquhart stated that a deal will be made public in the “next few weeks,” and said while she loved Burke, he could be a “hothead and a blowhard.” The negotiations between the team and city revolved around two competing arena locations, and the amount the city would pay. Councillor Ward Sutherland said that both sides are “close to settling on a compromise.”
The city councillors are on a potential deadline to get a deal done before Calgary’s October municipal elections. Some councillors may lose their seat, and new councillors will have to be brought up to speed. Moreover, Flames president and CEO Ken King told the Sun that if both sides reach a deal before the fall, a new arena can be built within four years.
The bluster-to-progress ratio was pretty good on this one.